Welcome to Bangkok
Hello!
To the next person coming to Bangkok:
I would highly recommend that you visit Wat Pho. Wat Pho is one largest temple complexes in Bangkok, and it is also home to the Reclining Buddha. The reclining Buddha is the largest Buddha in the area, and it is around 46 meters long. While most people go to Wat Pho just to see the reclining Buddha, I highly recommend that you see the rest of the temples.
With a free entrance if you wear your school uniform, Wat Pho is huge and full of beautiful temples and cool structures. As you walk through the grounds, you will literally have to squint because the temples are so bright and shiny. With a white base, the roofs are what really stand out. The roofs are usually red and blue and covered in shiny rocks and sequin-like designs. They literally glint when the sun hits them. Wat Pho is a must for a traditional, cultural experience.
Other than the temples in Wat Pho, I also recommend the temple of Wat Arun. More than anything, however, I'm not recommending the temple itself. While it is beautiful, the real sight is across the temple, and across the river that separates Wat Pho from Wat Arun. If you're on Wat Pho's side of the river, then you have a perfect view of the sun setting on Wat Arun's side. This is an absolute must-see sight in Bangkok. there are many cafes on Wat Pho's side that specifically face Wat Arun for this reason, so the best way to end your day is by chilling in a cafe, watching the sunset over Wat Arun.
I would also recommend visiting the Chatuchak Weekend Market. The Chatuchak market is the largest market in Thailand, with over 15,000 vendors. If you would like to do some bit of shopping, Chatuchak is the place to go. Since the market is so large, you can literally find anything there. The market is divided into different sections like the food section, clothing section, home appliances section, decoration section, etc, however, the market is so big and confusing that you are likely to at some point or another wander through all these sections without meaning to.
In other words, Chatuchak is the best place to do shopping. If you need anything at all, you are sure to find it there. It is so large that I have been there twice, and I'm sure I didn't pass the same stall both times. Since the market opens around 12 P.M and closes around 6 P.M, I highly recommend planning on staying the full time there, because six hours is not enough to see the whole market.
Restaurant wise, I would really say that it depends on what you're in the mood to eat. If you want Thai food, I highly recommend the places called Coconuts or Oscars. They are both walking distance from the school, and they both sell delicious Thai food. The owner of Coconuts is an old Loyola friend, so the atmosphere there is friendly, however, if you want more food portions for a cheaper price, then Oscar's is the way to go.
Another option would also be to just visit the night markets. By far the night markets have the cheapest food, and arguably the most delicious also since it is constantly being freshly made. The best thing about food markets is that you can find any type of food there, from Thai noodles to desserts, to burgers and fries.
Even though I would recommend that you try as much food as possible, the one food I must recommend is mango sticky rice. Mango sticky rice is THE Thai dessert, and for a good reason also. It literally is just slices of mango with a side of sweet sticky rice, however, it is incredibly delicious and a classic Thai dessert. My best advice would be to get it in the night markets. Since it is the one dessert that tourists want to buy, restaurants up the price double or triple because they know that ignorant foreigners would pay that much for it. In the night market, the dessert can cost you only 50 baht ($1.67), while in restaurants the mango sticky rice can cost you anywhere from 100 baht-300 baht ($3.33- $10).
The one piece of advice I would give is to not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and explore the city. While I admit that Bangkok is busy and noisy and intimidating because of its huge size, I would say to not let that scare you. While you should for sure stay with a group and venture out together in the first two months or so, don't be afraid to start doing things by yourself. Soon, you'll realize that the city isn't as big as you think and that it is fairly easy to get around with public transportation.
To the next person coming to Bangkok:
I would highly recommend that you visit Wat Pho. Wat Pho is one largest temple complexes in Bangkok, and it is also home to the Reclining Buddha. The reclining Buddha is the largest Buddha in the area, and it is around 46 meters long. While most people go to Wat Pho just to see the reclining Buddha, I highly recommend that you see the rest of the temples.
With a free entrance if you wear your school uniform, Wat Pho is huge and full of beautiful temples and cool structures. As you walk through the grounds, you will literally have to squint because the temples are so bright and shiny. With a white base, the roofs are what really stand out. The roofs are usually red and blue and covered in shiny rocks and sequin-like designs. They literally glint when the sun hits them. Wat Pho is a must for a traditional, cultural experience.
Other than the temples in Wat Pho, I also recommend the temple of Wat Arun. More than anything, however, I'm not recommending the temple itself. While it is beautiful, the real sight is across the temple, and across the river that separates Wat Pho from Wat Arun. If you're on Wat Pho's side of the river, then you have a perfect view of the sun setting on Wat Arun's side. This is an absolute must-see sight in Bangkok. there are many cafes on Wat Pho's side that specifically face Wat Arun for this reason, so the best way to end your day is by chilling in a cafe, watching the sunset over Wat Arun.
I would also recommend visiting the Chatuchak Weekend Market. The Chatuchak market is the largest market in Thailand, with over 15,000 vendors. If you would like to do some bit of shopping, Chatuchak is the place to go. Since the market is so large, you can literally find anything there. The market is divided into different sections like the food section, clothing section, home appliances section, decoration section, etc, however, the market is so big and confusing that you are likely to at some point or another wander through all these sections without meaning to.
In other words, Chatuchak is the best place to do shopping. If you need anything at all, you are sure to find it there. It is so large that I have been there twice, and I'm sure I didn't pass the same stall both times. Since the market opens around 12 P.M and closes around 6 P.M, I highly recommend planning on staying the full time there, because six hours is not enough to see the whole market.
Restaurant wise, I would really say that it depends on what you're in the mood to eat. If you want Thai food, I highly recommend the places called Coconuts or Oscars. They are both walking distance from the school, and they both sell delicious Thai food. The owner of Coconuts is an old Loyola friend, so the atmosphere there is friendly, however, if you want more food portions for a cheaper price, then Oscar's is the way to go.
Another option would also be to just visit the night markets. By far the night markets have the cheapest food, and arguably the most delicious also since it is constantly being freshly made. The best thing about food markets is that you can find any type of food there, from Thai noodles to desserts, to burgers and fries.
Even though I would recommend that you try as much food as possible, the one food I must recommend is mango sticky rice. Mango sticky rice is THE Thai dessert, and for a good reason also. It literally is just slices of mango with a side of sweet sticky rice, however, it is incredibly delicious and a classic Thai dessert. My best advice would be to get it in the night markets. Since it is the one dessert that tourists want to buy, restaurants up the price double or triple because they know that ignorant foreigners would pay that much for it. In the night market, the dessert can cost you only 50 baht ($1.67), while in restaurants the mango sticky rice can cost you anywhere from 100 baht-300 baht ($3.33- $10).
The one piece of advice I would give is to not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and explore the city. While I admit that Bangkok is busy and noisy and intimidating because of its huge size, I would say to not let that scare you. While you should for sure stay with a group and venture out together in the first two months or so, don't be afraid to start doing things by yourself. Soon, you'll realize that the city isn't as big as you think and that it is fairly easy to get around with public transportation.
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